Month: August 2011

How to Play Online Blackjack

Sometimes it never hurts to go back to the basics. We get so caught up in blackjack strategy and odds and house edge that sometimes we lose perspective of what it is we are playing. So today we are going back to the basics and back to how to play online blackjack.

First let’s look at the objective as that is the one thing about blackjack that gets misconstrued the most. This game is not about getting 21. Blackjack is about beating the dealer’s hand without making your own hand go over 21. Always remember that and focus on that rather than trying to get an even 21.

Online blackjack starts with the player placing their wager. Once that is set, they click Deal. Two starting cards are dealt and so is the dealer’s up card. This is the part where strategy comes into play as strategy determines how you will play out your hand. Every hand gives you the choice to Hit or Stand. Hit means to receive another card and Stand means to not receive any more cards. Sometimes, depending on the house or variation rules, you can Double Down, Split a Pair or take Insurance.

Double Down can only happen on certain hands. It is when the player doubles their wager and only receives one more card. This is only done in highly advantageous situations. Splitting a Pair can, obviously, only happen when you have two cards worth the same amount. Players make a second wager equal to their first, the pair is split and each original card receives a new partner card. Players then play out each hand normally.

Strategy can be used to determine which play is best for each situation. Basic strategy is an online blackjack player’s best tool for strategy. It is a chart that gives the best possible statistical play for each player starting hand/dealer up card combination. You will not win each time, but you will lower the house edge to 0.5% if you play every hand according to it.

Insurance is a bit different. It is only offered when the dealer’s up card is an Ace. This is one of the two cards needed to make a natural blackjack—and it is the less common card hence insurance. Insurance has the player placing a second wager that is equal to half of their original wager. If the dealer does indeed have a natural blackjack and the player loses, he receives a payout on his insurance wager which will equal the amount of his original wager. The majority of online blackjack professionals do not recommend taking insurance.

Now that we have revisited the basics of how to play online blackjack you can move on to refocusing your game to that objective of beating the dealer with or without a natural blackjack. Good luck!

Online Blackjack Bonuses at WinPalace

Looking for an online blackjack bonus? Well WinPalace is worth checking out. Not only do they offer a nice BlackJack Bonus as an exclusive welcome to online blackjack players, but they also offer some decent weekly bonuses meant for table games players—and that would be all you online blackjack players.

First let’s check out the BlackJack Bonus. This is a special bonus that online blackjack players can only game with their first deposit. Claiming this bonus with your first deposit will open up the opportunity to claim it up to nine more times. The BlackJack Bonus is for a 100% bonus worth up to $500. But if you do not claim this bonus with your first deposit it is gone. Players must turn in the claim code WINBJ with their first deposit. They can use that claim code up to nine more time. There is a wager requirement of 25 xs before players can cash in on any winnings earned with this bonus. Again, this is an online blackjack bonus so only Blackjack and Perfect Pairs will fulfill this wager requirement. But to make it a little easier on players, Texas Hold’em Bonus Poker, Multi Hand Video Poker and Video Poker can also be played to meet this wager requirement.

But once an online blackjack player has used up their BlackJack Bonus welcomes to WinPalace they should not worry that the bonuses are over. Because they are not done. Each week WinPalace offers four online table game bonuses that online blackjack players can take advantage of. Here is the rundown of this week’s four bonuses:

-Deposits of any amount and receive a 110% deposit with the claim code RAKE1.

-For players who deposit a minimum of $100, there is a 150% bonus with the claim code RAKE2.

-Those who deposit $200 or more can take advantage of a 200% bonus when turning in the claim code RAKE3.

-For the high rolling players who deposit a minimum of $325, there is a 240% bonus with your name on it. Turn in the claim code RAKE4 to receive it.

For this week’s weekly online table games bonus, online blackjack players can claim these bonuses up to forty times. But be advised that each bonus carries a wager requirement of 30 xs before any winnings can be withdrawn. The best part for online blackjack players is that the same games that fulfill the wager requirement for the BlackJack Bonus.

This is just a testament to what WinPalace has to offer their online blackjack players. Weekly bonuses change to keep things exciting. Other promotion, bonuses and special offers are routinely offered as well. For WinPalace it is all about taking care of their players.

Special Blackjack Payouts and Their Impact on a Player’s Edge

I am in a positive mood today. Last time I wrote I discussed the differences in the two types of surrenders that can be found in a game of blackjack. Both can do good things to a player’s edge in blackjack. Remember edge pertains to potential gain or loss of money for the player. As a player you want to keep your eyes open for the little extra house rules that will do positive things for your edge in blackjack. But first you need to know what some of the extra house rules are. So today I am going to share with you some of the special wins.

The best house rule that favors players for natural blackjack wins is when natural blackjacks pay out 2-1 instead of 3-2. Rather than making a $1.50 per $1 wager, players receive $2 to every $1 wagered. A $0.50 difference may not sound like a lot, but a $10 wager wins $20 with this house rule. As for the boost to your player’s edge, it is a nice 2.27% boost, which is one of the highest boosts a player can find.

Now if your natural blackjack is made up of two cards from the same suite some games of blackjack will payout 2-1. Logically you will not find this rule being applied in the same game as the one that offers a 2-1 payout for any natural blackjack. But if you cannot find the 2-1 payout on any natural, then 2-1 on a suited natural is still nice. This rule gives players a 0.57% boost to their edge.

What about push rules? It is not often that we find rules that make pushes in blackjack anything other than what they are. And when your natural blackjack comes up against a dealer blackjack it is such a letdown. Here you are thinking you are about to win a nice payout and then the dealer reveals he has a natural too. However there is one rule that can be found in some blackjack games that will remove that feeling of letdown: a tied blackjack still receives its 3-2 payout. Now there is a boost here of 0.32% in the player’s favor. This is because normally the player would only get to keep their wager rather than lose it but they also lose the 3-2 that they should have gotten, but the rule not only lets them keep their wager—it also still pays them 3-2.

These rules in blackjack cannot always be found. These are rules for blackjack payouts that players are meant to learn, tuck back into their minds and keep on the lookout for. Once spotted players remember and then join the game recognizing a good blackjack opportunity when they find one.

Understanding the Surrenders in Blackjack

So, my dear blackjack players, I have been giving some more thought to the rules of Double Attack Blackjack and it has me thinking about late surrender and surrender in blackjack in general. Late surrender is one of two ways for a blackjack player to exit a round without losing all of their wager. But there are two different types of surrender and it pays to know the difference between the two.

First we are going to look at late surrender. A lot of novice players assume that because of the word ‘late’ in the title it means that late surrender is the preferred of the two. And while either form of surrender is better than no surrender, late takes a backseat to early surrender. Here’s why:

In order for a player to make a late surrender, he has to wait for the dealer to check to see if he has a natural blackjack. Only after checking can a player choose to give up half of their wager and surrender. If the dealer has a natural blackjack, then the player cannot make a late surrender. But despite that one drawback, late surrender can help a player’s edge by giving them a boost of 0.08%. This is because on the occasions that they can still surrender, they only lose half of their wager and not all of it, like they would if the dealer has a natural.

Early surrender, as compared to late surrender, allows the player to exit a blackjack round before the dealer checks to see if he has a natural blackjack. This significantly boosts the player’s blackjack edge, with a boost of 0.24%. The biggest difference is that once a player surrenders and gives up half of his wager, he can still keep the other half even the dealer has a natural blackjack. That is where the difference in the boost to the player’s edge is.

Between the two, early surrender is the preferred way to go, but it is less common than late surrender. That being said, if the only option is to play in a game of blackjack with late surrender or in a game with no surrender, go with the one that offers at least one form of surrender—that is if the other house rules are not too steep.

Florida Blackjack Player Settles Gambling Debt

About five months ago, back in March, I brought to your attention the story of Jerome Powers. Powers racked up a $1.2 million blackjack debt playing at the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut in May of 2009.

The story goes that Powers was extended a casino credit line worth $1.2 million. He lost it all at the blackjack tables. Before leaving the casino, Powers tried to pay off his credit line by writing six checks. All six checks were returned with the reason for the return being that Powers’ account was closed and no longer valid.

The last two years has been spent arguing in and out of courts with the Mohegan Sun. Powers and his attorney said that the credit line was illegal since the Mohegan is on tribal land where the state does not have any jurisdiction. But the court took the Mohegan’s side, said the gambling was legal so the credit line was legal and that Powers had to pay the Mohegan back. Rather than pay Powers and his attorney filed for an appeal as well as a court order that would stop the Mohegan Sun from seizing his assets to help cover the $1.2 million debt.

But within the last couple of weeks, Powers and the Mohegan have settled outside of court in which details were not disclosed. But it sounds like everyone is glad the ordeal is done and over with. Andrew Houlding, the lawyer for the Mohegan Sun, said, “We are just pleased that it is resolved.” Powers himself is quoted as saying, “It was a chapter. It was closed. Everybody is paid, and I am really happy about it.”

Let this be a lesson to all blackjack players not to overextend themselves when it comes to playing blackjack. And when playing online blackjack, do not overload your bankroll with money that you do not have. Gambling debt is not fun.

Casino Titan Offers Two Welcome Bonuses

New online blackjack players at Casino Titan will be pleasantly surprised by what this Real Time Gaming powered online casino is offering new players. There are two bonuses for them to partake of, and one of them does not even require a deposit.

For starters there is the Free Sign Up Bonus. This Welcome Bonus gives new players at Casino Titan $7 with no deposit necessary. All a new player need do is download the casino’s free software, make a real player account and then contact the customer support staff to receive their free $7. That $7 can be used on a select list of online casinos games, and thankfully online blackjack is one of them. This will allow new players to take Casino Titan’s online blackjack games—except for Perfect Pairs—for a ride before depositing any money.

There are naturally a few restrictions on this Free Sign Up Bonus. First off there is a wager requirement that must be fulfilled before online blackjack players can make a withdrawal. That is right, even if you have not deposited so much as a penny, you can still withdraw your winnings made from this free $7. However, you must fulfill the 50 xs wager requirement; $7 times 50 makes the wager requirement amount $350.

Now on to the Welcome Bonus. The Welcome Bonus, my dear online blackjack players, if worth a maximum of $3,000 spread out over four bonuses:

1st deposit: 400% worth up to $1,000 (ELECTRIC400)
2nd deposit: 300% worth up to $900 (TITAN300)
3rd deposit: 200% worth up to $600 (WELCOME200)
4th deposit: 100% worth up to $500 (PACKAGE100)

Add those maximums up and you have the potential for $3,000 in bonus money. Now it does not mean that you have to deposit enough to get the maximum each time. It is important to only deposit what is within your means.

Players can play Online Blackjack as part of meeting the wager requirement, which is 25 xs per bonus. So keep that in mind when you make your deposits. Players have 45 days to complete the wager requirement; if the requirement is unfulfilled, the bonus and any winnings from the bonus will be removed from the player’s account.

On the whole, online blackjack players, these are some good offers for getting started at an online casino. Casino Titan also offers Happy Hour bonuses, weekly bonuses as well as a players reward club.